Pantera's Curiosity
by Isir
Summary: Grimmjow Jaegerjaquez pities all he deems below him; especially puny humans. Yet there is one girl who has captured his attention. Why? GrimmxHime
1. Chapter 1

**Disclaimer: **Bleach and all its characters belong to Tite Kubo. Just borrowing characters for selfish, writing indulgence.

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**Pantera's Curiosity**

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The wind of the Human World was strong; it powerfully lashed through bright, blue locks of a tall male. Comfortably leaning all his weight on one leg, Grimmjow Jaegerjaquez peered down on the small town of Karakura.

"You are not supposed to be here. Your insolence is endless, Grimmjow."

The sudden presence of the fourth Espada made Grimmjow tense. He cursed himself under his breath for not noticing the other's spiritual pressure until the man had revealed himself. Grimmjow clenched his fists and slightly turned his head, the motion just enough to allow him to glance at the smaller Espada.

"What about you? I doubt Aizen has sent you for me," Grimmjow retorted and bared his sharp fangs.

Ulquiorra remained unresponsive and gazed down upon Karakura Town with his distinctive, blank look.

"_Tsk,_" Grimmjow spat in contempt and averted his eyes.

"You are wrong," Ulquiorra suddenly spoke, making the Sixth Espada jerk his head up to look at him, "unlike trash like you, I take responsibility as an Espada. I came here to take you back."

Grimmjow sighed loudly in exasperation. "Shut up already, Ulquiorra. Who do you think you are, _huh_?" The Sixth Espada fully turned around to face the pale Fourth. "I'm not crossing any boundaries by just coming to the Human World."

"You are disobeying the orders of Lord Aizen," Ulquiorra simply replied.

"So are you by coming after me!" Grimmjow cried out, but he quickly lowered his voice and narrowed his eyes in annoyance, then he sighed and turned his head away. "Whatever!" he snarled and threw his arms up aggressively. "I'm going to have a look in this town and nothing's going to stop me; certainly not you!"

Ulquiorra remained silent. His stoic expression and relaxed posture gave nothing away. Grimmjow straightened his back in slight surprise at the other's lack of response and suspiciously examined his face, perhaps expecting to find a slight change in emotion that would give his state of mind away.

"Tell Aizen whatever the hell you want," Grimmjow growled. "I'm not going to sit around accompanying you. Adios, Ulquiorra."

Grimmjow was about to turn and leave when Ulquiorra's following question made him stop in his tracks:

"Are you going to stay in the Human World?"

With eyes full with disbelief, the Sixth Espada whirled around. "What nonsense are you saying? Who would want to stay in the Human World! I'm just going to have a look at them; observe their pettiness before we crush them."

"I see," Ulquiorra answered unexpectedly, wonderfully ignoring the other's unreasonable temper. "You are curious about them then."

Grimmjow kept silent and briefly glanced down on Karakura Town.

Was he?

"I will overlook your trespassing if you do not interfere with Lord Aizen's plans during your stay in the Human World."

Grimmjow jerked his head up in amazement, but he quickly recovered from his surprise and responded: "You idiot, who do you think you're talking to? Of course I won't be noticed by petty Soul Reapers or other imbeciles. Besides, I wasn't planning to stay long at all. If you hadn't butted in, I might have already finished my observing."

Ulquiorra ignored Grimmjow's remarks and stepped back. With just a flick of his hand, the air miraculously tore open towards another dimension. "You know what will happen if you interfere with Lord Aizen's plans," he said coldly. "Lord Aizen has no needs for those who fail to serve their purpose." With that, the pale Espada allowed himself to be engulfed by the darkness of Hueco Mundo.

Grimmjow watched the opening narrow down to a spleen until it finally disappeared like nothing had ever occurred. He glowered darkly to the spot where Ulquiorra had been just a moment ago. It was a rare occurrence for the Fourth Espada to allow him to break Aizen's commands. Whatever reasons the arrogant sob had, Grimmjow noticed that he could not care less.

A simple trip to the Human World couldn't possibly cross with Aizen's plans.

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**Author notes**: Thanks for reading! This was a short introductory chapter to release my self-indulgent tendencies (too much of a Grimmjow fan, I guess). Hope to see you stick around! Though I wonder how many Grimmjow/Orihime fans there actually are out there. I don't get the feeling it's a popular pairing. Please leave a review if you liked it or have constructive criticism!


	2. Chapter 2

It was surprisingly chilly in the classroom, even the teacher had put on his jacket during the lecture. Orihime pulled the sleeves of her peach-coloured cardigan a bit over her hands and propped up her chin, the soft fabric of the clothing brushing against her skin. Her grey eyes lingered outside the window, watching the misty weather pull over the school yard.

_The heater must be broken_, she thought absently to herself. _Or maybe they don't use heaters yet at this time of the year? _Her gaze shifted towards a particular, orange-haired male who was seated in the back of the classroom. She had to turn her head slightly to catch a glimpse of him. Different emotions stirred up inside her; the most apparent one was excitement. _Ichigo looks bored as well_, Orihime thought to herself and unconsciously smiled at the sight. He looked very handsome in the peach-coloured cardigan. Orihime noticed a strange feeling of pride spark within her at the observation. Her smile grew brighter against her sleeve, which served to conceal her silent contentment. She turned to look at the teacher again before Ichigo could catch her stealthy glances.

After school, the auburn-haired girl stood before the school gates and stretched her arms extravagantly. "What a day!" she sighed and smiled to Tatsuki. "I thought it would be colder outside considering how chilly it had been in the classroom!"

Tatsuki had been her best friend and classmate since middle school. The dark-haired girl was also a childhood friend of Ichigo Kurosaki. Orihime felt a little envious at how easy-going their relationship seemed, but she could not possibly bring herself to be bothered by this fact as she loved both Tatsuki and Ichigo dearly as friends. Also, she knew that Tatsuki was not interested at all in Ichigo other than in a friendly way. This was fortunate for Orihime because she would not know how to compete with a great person as Tatsuki if she _were_ interested in him. Tatsuki was a tough, considerate and self-confident young woman; to Orihime she was perfect.

"Really? I was not cold at all. The teacher was a total wuss for putting on his jacket during class, if you ask me."

"Oh, but if he felt cold, then it's only natural for him to put on an extra jacket," Orihime reasoned with her finger pointed to the air to appear more convincing.

Tatsuki nodded with that distinctive frown of amusement on her brows before she turned and waved to someone behind them.

Orihime's breath caught in her throat when she saw Ichigo and Chad coming their way -though her focus was entirely on the smaller male. _He's coming this way!_ She blushed and quickly put an auburn-coloured lock behind her ear.

The two boys were barely in hearing distance when Orihime found herself stretching on her toes and waving furiously to them, "Good afternoon, Ichigo, Chad!"

Ichigo's scowl eased just the slightest bit and he gave Orihime and Tatsuki one of those disarming smiles -at least to Orihime they were. "Oh hey, Orihime and Tatsuki. Going home—?!" His voice turned into a surprised gasp when a brown-haired male with brushy eyebrows lunged at him from behind and tried to headlock him.

"You let your guard down, Ichigo!" Keigo Asano yelled, surprised over the fact that he actually managed to hold Ichigo in such a strong position for a change, but he soon learned that his cry of victory had been too early as the orange-haired male grabbed him by his collar and threw him over his shoulder.

Keigo squeezed his eyes shut and cried out in shock, expecting to feel the painful, hard cement crack under his buttocks, but he was yet again surprised as Ichigo held on to his cardigan and made sure to minimize the impact of the fall. Though the fall did not hurt that bad, Keigo was still stunned when he hit the pavement below him. The male blinked his eyes in surprise, barely grasping what had happened just now.

Suddenly a knee hit him against his shoulder and Keigo yelped in pain. "Hey, watch where you're going!"

"Oh, my bad, Keigo," Mizuiro voiced in surprise. "But what are you doing on the ground?" With the cellphone in his hand, it was obvious that he had been oblivious to his surroundings and noticed Keigo just now when he had bumped against him.

Keigo jumped up in a fiery motion and darted an accusing finger towards his cellphone-crazy classmate. "Always with your phone!" he said dramatically and not without envy. "You and your girlfriend, _Mizuirooo_! How did you do it?!"

The two bickered on and Orihime secretly glanced to Ichigo, her cheeks glowing warmly at his presence. She wondered what kind of girl Ichigo would like as his girlfriend. Even though he did not seem to busy himself with the other gender, she was certain he would have preferences. Perhaps someone like Rukia? A confident, fierce woman, who was also kind at the same time. Rukia knew how to use humour in a crass way that would tick Ichigo off, but simultaneously amuse him. Orihime could do none of that. She puckered her lips in thought, wondering what she could do which Rukia could not. After a short moment her face brightened; she had her exotic cooking skills of course!

"What are you smiling about?" It was Tatsuki's harsh voice, pulling her out of her thoughts. "Your face is an open book, Orihime. I can read your every emotion." Tatsuki snickered.

Orihime's eye widened and she quickly looked to Tatsuki. She could? Had it been that obvious what she had been thinking of? The girl bit down on her lip in worry, praying no one would have noticed her particular attention towards her orange-haired classmate.

"Idiots," Ichigo sighed as he threw his bag over his shoulder. "I'm going home," he announced to anyone who would listen.

"Yeah, see you guys tomorrow," Tatsuki said and turned to go the other way.

Orihime waved to Tatsuki and looked back to Keigo, who was just getting up from the ground. "Are you alright?" she asked him.

The boy grinned widely and made a disregarding gesture with his hand. "I'm fine! Ichigo's karate throws got nothing on me!"

Orihime laughed and followed the boys. They talked about teachers and students, about things that happened around the school and outside the school; topics that probably did not interest Ichigo much as he remained silent during most of the walk. After a while Orihime had to part ways with them as well. She was surprised to see Ichigo turn her way to give her an acknowledging nod.

"Take care, Orihime," he said and his eyes laughed subtly at her with those long eyelashes of his.

Orihime smiled brightly in response, "You too, Ichigo! See you tomorrow at school!"

With those few words she turned and continued the way home in solitude. Her smile that had been so bright a moment ago had disappeared from her face. Without his presence, she felt insecure and confused. He liked her in a friendly way; that much was obvious. But she did not think he would return her deeper feelings as he had never responded or acted differently towards her subtle advances. Orihime dropped her eyes and rubbed her arm mindlessly, as if she needed to perform some sort of physical activity to compensate for the absence of her usual content visage.

She felt tired and drained after every moment she spent with Ichigo. It wasn't even like she had direct, private time with the young man, but the excitement and strain her body experienced was extraordinary. It was the constant insecurity of not knowing what to expect from him. Did he like her in _that_ way? Probably not. It was that very thought and every indication towards it that made her reluctant to confront him and get a clear answer from the male. She preferred hope than utter rejection, however tiring it was. She knew she did not have the courage to ask him just yet, afraid to bring ripples to their perfect, friendly relationship.

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**Author notes:**

Hi guys! Another chapter to this -apparently rare- GrimmHime fanfic. I was pleasantly surprised to see it received so well by you guys! Thank you so much for your support! _Bla, sweet-penelope, Finally, Go Go Go, nikess96: _thank you all so much for your compliments and enthusiasm that you shared with me through your reviews! They make me so excited to continue the story!

About this chapter: I wanted to stick as close to canon as possible which is why I decided to introduce Orihime's desperate infatuation with Ichigo first. Despite we all love GrimmxHime, I hope this chapter could entertain you regardless! (I also like IchixHime, but that is an indulgence for another time :P)


	3. Chapter 3

Humans weren't interesting. Nor were they amazing in what they did. They were merely wasting their lives by doing nothing else than running in and out of colourful, exaggerated buildings. What was the use of excessive decoration that they painted their world with? Why not stick to simple designs as Hueco Mundo had? Did they feel a surplus value to the excessive styling that he, as an Arrancar, could not understand?

Grimmjow Jaegerjaquez sneered at himself for his useless thoughts. He despised the Humans for their simplicity and ignorance, yet he felt an unwanted curiosity rise inside him; a small flame that flickered brightly inside of him, longing to know what was here in the Human World that he had not encountered before in Hueco Mundo.

The world of the Hollows was grim and gravely, white and deserted, constant and unchanging, but the Human World… - Grimmjow raised his head to look at the endless blue sky above him - the Human World had an unexpected pleasant humidity in its air, and there were sounds of tiny animals he had never heard before. They were different from the small Hollows in Hueco Mundo. These creatures seemed to chirp a certain melody which was soothing to his hears and weakening to his heart.

Grimmjow bared his fangs in irk, detesting his own attentive observation of such an unworthy folk. He shoved his hands deep into the pockets of his hakama and sauntered through the streets of the Humans, making no effort to get out of the people's way that could not see him. Sometimes someone would bump into his broad shoulder. The person in question would mumble a quick 'sorry' like he was in a hurry and would not even notice that the person he had run into was not visible to him. Grimmjow didn't care. He was too busy musing over his unexplainable fascination for this despicable folk.

Humans only seemed to busy themselves with senseless activities, unaware of the soul-thirsty Hollows around them. Did they not feel fear of dying, of falling out of existence? He paused in his tracks and looked into the distance. Humans could not even be compared to Hollows. They were… different in everything they were; inferior.

In an effortless motion, the Espada leaped into the air and landed on top of the roof of some odd-looking, candy shop. From this height, he had a nice overview of the diverse, swarm of Humans who crossed each other on the busy roads. He watched as strange, mechanic vehicles slowed down before poles with coloured lights, which showed one colour at a time, and would then speed up again with remarkable smoothness when the pole would flicker to a green light.

Grimmjow lowered his gaze. Useless. Weak. That's what the Humans were. Who would need mechanical vehicles when you had the power to blast absolutely everything to ashes with just a flick of your wrist? He grinned in satisfaction. For a moment he almost believed himself to be interested in them, but no matter how fanciful their little accessories might seem, Humans were still overly superfluous and naïve.

They were fools and they would always be fools as long as they could not attain the true knowledge of existence. If he were to stay here any longer, he was going to become as pathetic as them. It was time to return to Hueco Mundo. If Ulquiorra would ask him about his observations, he would tell the guy flat-out how the Human World had bored him to the brink of death.

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**Author notes: **Short chapter. Setting foundations for the story, probably a bit of a boring read? But it's a fast update! I was planning to update once a week, but a short chapter can easily be pumped out in the middle of a week :). _Sweet-penelope, Tenma, EddieNoir_: thank you so much for your reviews and compliments! I am glad I could write something that others can enjoy a bit from as well!

_EddieNoir:_ Haha, yes, indeed they appear to be! Orihime is a little dense at times, but I find it very cute, lol.

PS.: I think I have to apologize for all the grammar errors in my overall writing. I am no native English speaker, so I hope you gave overlook my mistakes :P.


	4. Chapter 4

"I heard there's gonna be a funfair in Karakura Town! Isn't that exciting?"

"Hm."

"Ichigo! Don't ''hm' me! It's gonna be awesome!"

Orihime's ears pricked when she caught her classmates' conversation. She popped up next to Keigo, who seemed upset over Ichigo's lack of enthusiasm, and smiled broadly. "There's really gonna be a fair in Karakura Town? How fun!"

Ichigo pushed his hands behind his nape and leaned his chair back on two legs. "It's just going to cause a lot of noise," he complained. "Besides, with all the fuss it brings, the Soul—"_Reapers. _The teen caught himself just in time on his slip-up and immediately changed the topic. "Whatever. I'm not going. Yuzu and Karin will probably be excited to go, though."

"But everyone will go, right?" Orihime looked at the others that stood by their tables, mentally asking them for support. "Chad?"

The large, young man pulled his mouth. He didn't need to think long about his answer. "I will go have a look," he nodded to Orihime. "But I don't think they are finished setting the ground up yet."

"You see," Orihime chirped happily to Ichigo, "even Chad is going! You will definitely miss out if you don't come along, Ichigo!"

"Leave the gloomy guy behind already." Tatsuki joined them, her bag swung over her shoulder. She grinned widely, savouring teasing Ichigo to the fullest. "It's not like we'll miss him or anything." She laughed and caught Orihime's worked up form in the corner of her eyes; the girl was ready to defend Ichigo, seemingly oblivious that Tatsuki's remarks were just playful taunts.

Orihime's notorious index finger rose, ready to inform them all of an important lesson. "Oh, but Ichigo is not gloomy!" she said, her face straight. "He might look angry and it's true that he scowls all the time, but he's actually really nice." A small smile rounded her face and her cheeks coloured slightly. Her eyes quickly darted towards her orange-haired classmate and when she saw the gentle smile on his face, a fluttering feeling bloomed in her stomach. She laughed and laughed.

"Ichigo is not nice!" Keigo objected passionately. "He's... he's boring!"

"Being boring has nothing to do whether he's nice or not," Tatsuki remarked. "But whatever. I'm leaving now."

Orihime looked up in surprise. "You're not coming to the fair?"

"Like Chad said; there's nothing there yet," Tatsuki answered. "We'll all go together once it's open to public."

"I see," Orihime said, feeling a bit disappointed. She looked at the rest of the group expectantly. "None of you is going to have a look today?"

"Don't persuade them into doing things they don't want to do," Tatsuki chuckled.

Orihime quickly raised her hands in a defensive way. "No, no! I wasn't trying to persuade anyone." She lowered her head in an apologetic manner and glanced towards Ichigo. "I guess I'll be going then. See you guys tomorrow."

"Yeah, see you guys," Ichigo said and got up from his chair.

Orihime quickly followed Tatsuki, but her head was slightly turned so she could watch her crush get ready to leave. He said something to Chad which she could not catch. She turned back around to see where she was actually going. It wouldn't be a good thing to run into the door again and draw everyone's attention. For it to happen a second time in front of Ichigo would be too embarrassing. She inhaled deeply. He would come with them to the fair when the time was there. Ichigo wasn't someone who'd let down his friends.

_Friends._

To him she was only a friend. The girl cast her eyes down and bit down on her lower lip. It wasn't like her to worry about matters that would make her feel sad. She should focus on the funfair that was going to come to Karakura Town. It was a rare event that called for celebration!

"Tatsuki," Orihime called.

The dark-haired girl before her slowed her pace so Orihime could walk next to her. "What is it?"

"Are you sure you're not going to the fair today?"

Tatsuki sighed. "If you're so obsessed with the fair you should just go." She paused and hesitated. "I would have gone with you, but I have karate practice today."

Orihime slapped her forehead, feeling stupid to have forgotten about that. "That's right! I'm sorry to have asked you, Tatsuki!" Suddenly an idea hit her. "What about tomorrow?" Orihime beamed, making it impossible for Tatsuki to decline her request.

"I don't get what's so exciting about a fair still in construction," Tatsuki frowned, "but if you insist, I guess I'll come with you tomorrow. But I'm not going to stay long, I have to tell you."

"Thank you, Tatsuki!" Orihime exclaimed and grabbed her friend's hand to squeeze it, hoping it could convey her feelings of gratitude. "I'll promise you it won't be boring! Fairgrounds are always super-exciting!"

"Yeah, yeah," Tatsuki nodded and gave Orihime one of her half-smiles.

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It didn't matter that no one wanted to accompany her to the fairground, which was still under construction. Orihime could perfectly enjoy herself, especially when she knew these colourful containers were going to transform into great attractions soon. She clapped her hands together in excitement while she made her way through the plaza among the half-installed, appealing machinery which were dotted with colourful, but unlit led lights. Everything seemed to come together nicely. Workers waved at her happily and she waved back to them with equal enthusiasm, unaware of their flirting.

Her friends were really missing out this time. She couldn't wait to tell Tatsuki about all the amazing things she had seen here. Tomorrow after school she could even bring Tatsuki here to see for herself! Perhaps she could even persuade Ichigo to come with them. Her stomach pulled together at the thought. No, it would seem suspicious if she only asked Ichigo along. She would have to try to get Chad, Keigo and Mizuiro to come along as well. Oh, and Uryuu should also come! Although he didn't get along with Ichigo all too well - which Orihime thought was a shame, since they were both amazing persons.

Her mind trailed off to the thought of visiting the fairground with Ichigo alone. If they were to go here with just the two of them, would other people think of them as a couple? She blushed furiously at the thought and quickly shook her head, as if she could erase the images from her mind. Ichigo was a dear friend to her. She should be content with that... but she was not. Orihme's gaze grazed the ground and she stopped in her tracks.

Suddenly there was a screeching sound, a roar so intense that it made Orihime's hair stand on ends. _Hollow. _Orihime slowly turned around, her breathing hitched and the beating of her heart increased audibly. She pressed her right hand tightly against her chest. She could feel its presence close, but was unable to detect it. With wide eyes she looked to the workers. If the hollow was really here, these men needed to leave the area quickly. But how was she going to get them to leave? They wouldn't be able to see or feel the hollow's presence. Then again, if the hollow was here because it had detected her spiritual pressure, perhaps she could lure it away from them instead. But where to? Orihime's forehead perspired in anxiety.

It was then that an abnormal, large shadow pulled over her, easily swallowing her own in its grand size. Orihime's eyes widened at the realization of what stood behind her.

_Six Princess-Shielding Flowers. _

Her mouth opened, wanting to shout the words, but it was as if her throat was clamped close; she could not bring out a sound. Her lips quivered. With trembling hands she brought them to the crystal pins in her hair.

_Six Princess-Shielding Flowers. _

Suddenly an enormous blast followed, stirring up all the dust from the plaza, and causing Orihime to fall to the ground screaming in panic. Her voice quickly died against the tormented cry of the vanishing hollow. A red hue past her frame; she could feel its heat wrap around her skin. Though none of these facts made her panic more than the sudden appearance of the impossibly, powerful spiritual pressure. Its revelation together with the hollow's made Orihime think that the owner had been suppressing its power up till now to stay hidden. She did not recognize the spiritual pressure, but the person in question had helped her, right?

Orihime jerked her head to the direction where the blast had come from. She was just in time to see a form disappear. But she saw him; a tall man with outstanding, blue hair, white clothes that looked like a reversed variation of the Soul Reaper's uniform.

And the gaping hole in his abdomen, crossing out any possibility of him being a Soul Reaper.

Her eyes were large from shock. She clenched her fists, gripping the sand on the ground. Was it a hollow's hole?

"My God! Are you alright, girl?"

The workers quickly gathered around Orihime in concern.

"What the hell was that? It looked like a storm! But there was no consistency!"

Someone helped Orihime get back to her feet. She was still too surprised to speak, but her hands automatically went to her pins. Again they were left unused... A familiar spiritual pressure pulled her out from her thoughts. _Ichigo._ Orihime whirled around and saw Ichigo and Chad rushing towards her.

"Orihime! Are you alright?!" It was Ichigo's voice, but his mouth did not move. Orihime frowned at the strange occurrence, but then she saw Ichigo in spirit form lightly land on his feet next to her. "What happened?" he enquired, his voice full with concern.

"Orihime!" Ichigo's original body cried out and hugged her tightly, his taut muscles pressed against her chest. Ichigo's scent, his naked neck pushing against her face, his strong arms wrapped around her and his hard chest pressing against hers. Orihime felt herself burn up in embarrassment. The pounding of her heart was deafening between her ears. Suddenly Ichigo was roughly yanked away from her.

"What the heck are you doing, Kon!" Spirit-Ichigo cried out. "Don't take advantage of the situation!"

Orihime quickly crossed her arms over her chest and cleared her throat. _Ichigo held me in his arms._ She couldn't set the thought aside. Even though it had been Kon temporarily taking over his body, it was still _his_ body that held her. Suddenly the image of her mysterious saviour invaded her mind, as if to remind her there were more pressing matters at the moment. She looked to the workers. There was no way she could speak about hollows in their presence.

"Are you all alright?" Chad asked the men. He received firm nods. When he had made sure no one was hurt, he said, "Let's go, Orihime".

Orihime followed the large male and Kon, but Spirit-Ichigo stayed behind to inspect the area. She looked over her shoulder in worry. This was not how she had imagined going to the fairground with Ichigo would be like.

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**Author notes**: I stayed up till 3am to finish the chapter. My goodness. I hope you enjoyed this chapter –which was also a bit longer- and my sleepiness didn't affect the writing. Please leave a review if you liked it or have other remarks :). Good night, people!


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